Shoulder strap and scarf clasp



NOV. 1965 J. RUBENSTEIN 3,218,686

SHOULDER STRAP AND SGARF CLASP Filed July 2, 1962 FIG. 1. 5

INVENTOR JULIA RUBENSTEIN ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,218,686 SHOULDER STRAP AND SCARF CLASP Julia Rubenstein, 33 Washington Square W., New York, N.Y. Filed July 2, 1962, Ser. No. 206,674 '1 Claim. (Cl. 24198) This invention relates to a shoulder strap and scarf clasp.

It is known that brassieres, slips and like undergarments for women are provided with shoulder straps, and it is also known that such straps tend to slip off the shoulder when in use. It is one object of this invention to provide a clasp or holder which may be worn on the shoulder to hold the straps in place. Not only does this clasp or holder function to prevent the straps from falling ofl the shoulder, but it also performs the additional function of holding the straps together in superimposed relationship.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a clasp or holder of the character described which may he used for other, analogous purposes, especially for holding the ends of a neck scarf or tie together.

Briefly stated, the present device is an S-shaped holder which has two spaced openings through which the straps or scarf or tie ends may be threaded, and a pair of slits which provide entrance to or egress from such openings.

Shoulder strap holders are known to the art, but they have not heretofore been designed for fully satisfactory use and results. In some cases it is only with difficulty that the straps can be threaded through them. In other cases threading is easy but the straps are not securely held. Furthermore, the prior art devices have not been found comfortable to wear and, additionally, they have themselves displayed a tendency to slip off the shoulders.

In the present case, on the other hand, the device is easily attached to the straps, it is comfortable to wear, and it securely holds the straps in place on the shoulder.

The S-shaped clasp herein described and claimed is made, preferably, by die-cutting it out of sheet plastics of a type which is relatively flexible and resilient. Polyethylene is a suitable material, and so are many other plastics conventionally used, for example cellulose acetate. The shape and design of this device are such that at any given point it is relatively narrow in cross-section. Consequently said device is necessarily flexible and yielding, both because of its shape or design and also 'because of the nature of the material of which it is made.

Being as flexible and yielding as it is, it readily conforms to the contours of the hollow of the shoulder, that is, the concave portion which is situated between the shoulder proper or the shoulder joint and the base of the neck. Since it snugly conforms to such contours, it tends to remain in said hollow during actual use, and it thereby confines the straps to said hollow. In addition to the foregoing, the shape of said device and its flexibility render it capable of flexing across the shoulder from front to back so as to conform to the curvature of the shoulder in that respect as well. Stated differently, the present device is capable of flexing both transversely and longitudinally in order to conform to the compound curves of the shoulder. In prior devices, flexibility may have been attained in either of these two directions but it was not attained in both.

Summarizing some of the foregoing remarks and indicating other features and advantages of the present device, it should be stated that this device is quite inexpensive, it is of relatively insignificant weight, it possesses no appreciable bulk, it conforms snugly to the contours of the 3,218,686 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 shoulder, it is easily used (put on and taken oif even when the wearer is fully clothed), it requires no sewing or pinning to the straps, it is washable, and its design and flexibility adapt it to stay in place on the shoulder, thereby holding the straps in place on the shoulder while permitting the straps to slide or adjust longitudinally responsive to body movements and thereby preventing any pulling or binding. In short, this device does not interfere in any way with the proper functioning of the shoulder straps or their relative movements in the course of normal wearing of the garments under discussion, while at the same time holding them in place and preventing them from slipping off the shoulders.

In connection with its use on scarfs and ties, the present device not only holds their respective ends together, but it may also be used in the making of bows and fancy knots. It may he made in various colors and shapes, providing that the general S pattern is retained.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing how the device herein described and claimed is worn on the shoulders holding two pairs of shoulder straps in place.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing how shoulder straps may be threaded through said device.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a device made in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 5 shows said device worn on the neck to hold the ends of a scarf in place.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of another embodiment of the device made in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to the details of this device as they are shown in the drawing, it will 'be observed that clasp or holder 10 is a flat S-shaped member which is preferably die-cut from a relatively thin plastic sheet. A transverse opening 12 is formed at one end and a like transverse opening 14 is formed at the opposite end to receive shoulder straps 16 and 18 respectively. As illustrated in the drawing, shoulder straps 18 are connected to slip 20 and shoulder straps 16 are intended to represent bra'ssiere straps.

FIG. 2 illustrates how these shoulder straps may be threaded through the clasp or holder 10. By moving the clasp 10 and the shoulder strap 16 relative to each other, the strap 16 may be passed through the slits 15 and 17 into the respective openings 14 and 12, the portion of the strap which has passed through the opening 12 being indicated by the reference number 16a. Strap 18 is first passed through a slit 15 leading into opening 14. It is then slipped through slit 17 which leads into opening 12. This latter step is illustrated by the showing of the last-inserted strap portion 18a.

It will now be observed that openings 12 and 14 are generally rectangular in shape, defining, in effect, a pair of parallel slots extending transversely of the clasp in spaced relation to each other. Said openings are accordingly adapted to snugly accommodate the straps in the manner shown in FIG. 2. The slots are long or wide enough to accommodate the widest straps normally encountered. Narrower straps will fit into the same slots.

Referring now specifically to the precise shape or design of clasp 10, it will be noted that it is formed in the shape of a virtually closed letter S or numeral 8. The portion 10a which is situated between the two openings 12 and 14 is a relatively narrow yoke which is formed with a double curve so that a portion extends transversely of the clasp immediately adjacent opening 12, a second portion extends transversely of the clasp immediately adjacent opening 14, and an intermediate portion extends longitudinally of the clasp between ends 1% and 100 thereof. It will be noted that the yoke extends generally diagonally across the longitudinal center of a tape or strap extending through the clasp.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the double curved narrow yoke may be flexed along both longitudinal and transverse flexing lines and also along diagonal flexing lines extending radially from the central area of the clasp. All of the other portions of the S- shaped or S-shaped clasp are also relatively narrow in cross-section and are therefore readily adapted to 'be flexed along flexing lines extending transversely of said portion.

The consequence of the foregoing is that this clasp is Well adapted to fit snugly in the hollow of the shoulder, flexing both laterally and from front to back in order to adapt itself to the contours of said hollow portion of the shoulder.

Although the shoulder straps are relatively free to move longitudinally of themselves relative to the clasp which holds them, in order to prevent binding, the clasp itself, by virtue of the fact that it tends to conform to and hug the contours of the shoulder, and by virtue of the nature of the material of which it is made, remains relatively stable and secure on the shoulder. This avoids irritation of the skin of the shoulder and enables the clasp to perform its primary function, which is to prevent the shoulder straps from becoming dislodged from the shoulder.

Turning now to FIGS. and .6 of the drawings, it will be observed that the same general type of clasp as has above been described may 'be used to hold the ends 30 and 32 of a scarf 34 in place. In actual practice, a clasp made for scarf use should be somewhat larger than one made for shoulder strap use. Clasp 36 shown in FIG. 4 is intended for scarf use and, although it is only slightly larger in the drawing than clasp 10, the reason is that shoulder strap clasp is shown in enlarged or exaggerated form for clarity purposes. In actual use, clasp 36 may be as much as twice the size of clasp 10.

The shape of the clasp may vary from what is shown in FIG. 2, as witness the shape of clasp 36 in FIG. 4. The ends of the clasp in FIG. 2 are rounded, while the ends of the clasp in FIG. 4 are straight and parallel to each other. There are other variations in shape, as in the end portions 10b and 100 of FIG. 2 as compared with corresponding end portions 36b and 36c of FIG. 4. By the same token, there is also a slight difference in shape between yokes 10a and 36a. But the fact remains, despite these variations, that 'both clasps describe the letter S or the numeral 8. It will be seen that yoke 360, like yoke 10a of FIG. 2, extends diagonally across the longitudinal center of a strap or tape extending through the clasp.

In the use of scarf clasp 36, the ends of the scarf are threaded through the clasp in the manner shown in FIG. 6. Both ends are threaded through each of the openings 38 and 40 of clasp 36, and this may readily be done through slits 42 and 44 of said clasp. The ends of the scarf may be threaded through said openings in different Ways to provide different tie or bow effects.

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention, wherein there is shown a generally S-shaped clasp 50, having curved end portions 52 and 54, a yoke 56, openings 58 and 60, and slits 62 and 64 which provide for entrance into and egress out of the openings 58 and 60, respectively. The yoke 56 is similar to the yoke 10a, shown in FIG. 2, except that the outer edges 66 thereof which form a portion of the boundary defining the openings 58 and are serrated. The serrated edges 66 serve to grip and secure in place that portion of the scarf 34 which is engaged by said clasp.

The foregoing is descriptive of preferred forms of this invention and it will be understood that these preferred forms may be modified and other forms may 'be provided within the scope of the basic principles of the invention.

I claim:

A clasp of the character described for use in holding and confining shoulder straps, ties, scarf ends and the like, comprising a generally closed S-shaped element made of relatively flexible sheet plastic material, each of the loops of the S-shaped element being adapted to receive and hold said shoulder straps, ties, scarf ends and the like, said loops being joined by a yoke which extends generally diagonally across the clasp, the ends of said loops closely approaching said yoke and leaving a narrow slit separating the end of each loop from said yoke, each narrow slit providing entrance into and egress out of one of said loops, each of said loops having a serrated edge, all of the portions of said clasp being relatively narrow in their transverse dimensions and relatively thin in cross-section and being thereby readily adapted to flex transversely of their longitudinal dimensions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,095,340 10/ 1937 Meyer 24-198 2,212,862 8/1940 Hirsh 24198 FOREIGN PATENTS 344,140 3/1931 Great Britain. 451,188 7/ 1936 Great Britain.

DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. 

